Small and medium-sized enterprises in rural business clusters: The relation between ICT adoption and benefits derived from cluster membership

Authors

• Charles Steinfield
• Robert LaRose
• Han Ei CHEW, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
• Stephanie Tom TONG

Publication Type

Journal Article

Book Title/Conference/Journal

Information Society

Year

3-2012

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between information and communication technologies (ICT) usage, the benefits a company derives from membership in a rural business cluster, and the success of rural companies. Analysis of 333 rural businesses located in northern lower Michigan showed a strong relationship between (a) ICT adoption and benefits derived from the membership in business clusters, (b) ICT adoption and self-reported business success, and (c) benefits derived from business clusters and business success. Although analysis indicates that these relationships may be industry specific, results suggest that ICT adoption by rural enterprises may have advantages for the region's social capital and business success and may help reduce the digital divide experienced in rural communities.

Keywords

business clusters, information and communication technologies, ICT, small and medium-sized enterprises, social capital

Disciplines

Business and Corporate Communications | Communication Technology and New Media | Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations

Subject(s)

Applied or Integration/Application Scholarship

ISSN/ISBN

0197-2243

Publisher

Routledge

DOI

10.1080/01972243.2012.651004

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2012.651004

Version

acceptedVersion

Language

eng

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Format

application/PDF

Citation

Steinfield, Charles; LaRose, Robert; CHEW, Han Ei; and TONG, Stephanie Tom. Small and medium-sized enterprises in rural business clusters: The relation between ICT adoption and benefits derived from cluster membership. (2012). Information Society. 28, (2), 110.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/oi_research/18